Beyond the Picture Window
by steepedinshadows419
Summary: AU - Snagging the hot guy at the coffee shop is only the beginning. Barry/Iris. Multi-chap. [Sequel to "Pining at the Coffee Shop Window"]


**A/N:** New fic. Sequel to _Pining at the Coffee Shop Window_. No clue when I'll update. I hope you enjoy this first chap though! Lol.

*****Many thanks to **sendtherain** for beta'ing.

*****I own nothing. No copyright infringement intended.

* * *

**Chapter 1 -**

Day passed into night, the hours ticking away like seconds, but Iris didn't notice. She wondered if Barry did. She felt like she'd been doing a lot of talking. He'd done his fair sure too, that was for certain. Iris refused to let herself be the only one talking all day long. Especially after she had to order a glass of water halfway through her story. _Had she really told this stranger her whole life story?_

_Good lord. Why was he still here?_

But then he went ahead and told her his, and she was amazed by just how much of an open book he was, and how moved he seemed to be by her story. They were both pretty ordinary people, it seemed. Which probably meant they were both hiding a few things. But it was first date – hopefully. If you discussed all the minute details of your life, what would be there to talk about on any future dates?

"Shall I call you a cab?" he asked, standing up when he saw her do the same.

There was one barista behind the counter, and she'd just announced with a smile that the coffee shop would be closing in five minutes.

Iris shook her head.

"I only live a couple blocks away."

"How many is a couple?" he asked.

"Two," she said proudly.

"Ah." He blushed, and she found it utterly adorable.

"Why?" she asked, taking a step closer to him and watching as his blush spread down his neck.

"I, uh…just, well, I was going to walk you home."

"And you can't now because?"

He was a deer caught in the headlights, and she couldn't have been more drawn to him if she tried.

"It's only two blocks."

"It's windy," she countered. "And dark."

"And you need your knight in shining armor to hold onto in order to find your way back home?"

She was breathless. "_My _knight?"

His blush was so fierce now he couldn't control it.

"I guess this is the part where I ask you out again and hope you say yes."

"Yes!" she exclaimed before he'd finished saying the very same word.

He grinned so wide his face hurt, and Iris was certain there were diamonds in his eyes.

"Shall we go then?" he asked, holding out his bent arm to her.

"We shall," she said, looking her arm through his giddily, loving that he was just the right shade of dork for her.

She tried to ignore the barista staring at them with heart eyes on their way out the door, but it was impossible.

"Goodnight!" she called out from behind the counter. "Thank you for coming! Be careful out there!"

Iris turned slightly and waved. "Thank you," she said politely, and Barry followed suit.

The barista practically swooned as they walked out into the street, especially when Iris gripped Barry tighter and leaned into him as they turned the corner.

"How romantic."

…

Exactly two blocks away, Iris gestured to a little white house up ahead.

"It's cute," Barry said, which made Iris beam.

"I paid for all of it myself," she said proudly.

He turned to look at her. "I'm impressed. How long did it take you?"

"Three years," she admitted. "But still! I did it all on my own, and it's my favorite thing that I own."

He smiled. "I bet."

They turned up the walkway, past a sea of wildly blowing flowers, and stopped at the front door.

"I suppose you don't want to come in," she said, the tone in her voice clearly disappointed.

He laughed lightly. "What gave you that idea?"

He took the key from her hand, opened the door, and waited for her to walk inside.

"It's cold out here. I don't want to stand in it any more than you do."

She laughed lightly, a bit nervously.

"I'll just call a cab real quick. I'm sure they'll be here in no time, so I'm not in your space too long. I know you weren't prepared for company, and-"

"W-w-wait!" She stole the phone from his hands, making his eyes widen. "Stop rambling."

He turned a bright red again.

"I…uh…sorry." He looked away.

"No, I mean-" She sighed and figured the hell with it.

Setting his phone on a nearby table, she approached him, ignoring his shocked, confused expression and wrapped her hands around his neck so she could pull him down for a kiss.

It was soft and sweet, and when he reciprocated, she thought she could die happy and go to heaven right there. She felt tingling traveling all the way to her toes and fingertips. She was so happy she thought she might burst.

This was her dream man, and they'd just shared their first kiss.

She released him and lowered herself to the ground.

"Sorry if that was too forward, but-"

"No, that was good. Really good."

Her eyelashes fluttered as she looked up at him.

"Yeah?"

He nodded. "Yeah, Iris."

"Well, good, because I've been wanting to do it for a very long time."

"Yeah?"

She nodded. "I was just…shy, didn't want to be cliché, and like I said, I thought your cousin was your girlfriend."

He shook his head and ran a hand through his hair.

"My damn cousin. Wait till she hears about this."

Iris' eyes widened in a panic.

"You're going to tell her?"

He frowned. "Well, yeah, I ditched her today because I was with you. I have to give her an explanation."

"Oh. Right." She laughed nervously.

"Aren't you going to tell anyone?"

She thought about it. Yeah, she probably would tell Linda, who would tell Wally, who would tease her mercilessly and then tell their parents, who would expect Barry to come to the next family dinner so they could meet them. She winced at the predetermined escalation of events.

"Yeah, probably."

He took her hands in his, threading their fingers together.

"Look, I know this is new. Like, _really_ new. But I don't want to hide it. This is the best thing that's happened to me in years."

Once again, he took her breath away.

"What's the last best thing?"

"Graduating college."


End file.
